Catnip

Also know as Catnip, Catnep, Catrup, Catswart and Field Balm.

From the family Lamiceae.

The genus Nepeta may be derived from the Roman town of Nepeti, where catnip was valued and cultivated long ago. The colonists brought catnip to America and an American geographer listed it as a commercial crop in 1796. It has since escaped into the landscape. Some believe the plant is named after its ability to lure and charm felines. In the 17th century it was used in the treatment of barren women.

Pick leaves and flowering tops when young to use fresh or dried.

The leaves are used for tea and in salads, soups and sauces. Fresh leaves can be rubbed on raw meat as a tenderiser or mixed with olive oil and seasonings for a marinade.

Catnip is used to make a yellow dye. The dried leaves are used in cat toys. The scent is said to repel rats and cockroaches, so put in bunches in chicken and duck houses. Plant near vegetables to deter flea beetles. The leaves can be made into an ointment for the relief of piles.